Music-holder.



PATENTBD APR. l0, 1906.

J. L. DODGE.

MUSIC HOLDER.

` APPLICATION FILED JAN.25,V1906.

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y? fi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JASPER L. DODGE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO JOHN Q. BRADISH AND ONE-THIRD TO LEOLA P. BRADISH,

OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

MUSIC-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 10, 1906.

To a/ZZ whom it may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, JASPER L. DODGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State yof Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Music-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improve-- ment in music-holders, and more particularly to an improvement in an automatic sheetmusic holder and shifter, as distinguished from the usual automatic music-leaf turners.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of a sheet-music holder and automatic shifter adapted for use on pianos, organs, or similar musical instruments, whereby the sheets of music are held in a convenient position and shifted automatically in succession by the slightest possible movement of a iinger of the player.

A further object of my invention is to conceal the used sheets of music, thereby preventing confusion on the art of the player.

A still further object o my invention is to provide a portable sheet-music holder and automatic shifter adapted to rest on the musiceracks of pianos, organs, or similar musical instruments in a position to bring the actuating-levers of the automatic shifter into a convenient position for the player.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of a .sheet-music holder and automatic shifter having details of construction as will be more fully set forth hereinafter. 4

Figure l is a vertical view lookin at the front of my improved sheet-music hoIder and automatic shifter, showing a sheet of music in the position for being played and the screen for concealing the sheet of music after the same has been played. Fig. 2 is a lan view looking at the under side of the holler, showing the slides for holding and shifting the sheet-music held in their outward or operative position by the actuating levers against the tension of the coiled springs. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the means for holding the slides in their outward position, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2 through the holder.

In the drawings, a indicates the base 5 b,the opaque screen; c c, the slides d d, the coiled springs; c e, the double inverted-U -shaped spring-wire clips for holding the sheets of music; ff, the actuating-shafts g g, the lock ing-pawls, and h h the actuating-levers of my improved sheet-music holder and automatic shifter.

The base a is formed of heavy cast metal in a narrow elongated form and constructed to have the longitudinal bars a a in the top forming the longitudinal slots a2 a2 for the slides c c, the longitudinal opening a3 in the bottom and the oppositely-disposed holes (Li a4 in the front and back of the base for the actuating-shaftsff, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The opening a3 in the bottom of the base may be closed with a cover, (not shown,) which maly be covered with felt or a similar materia The opaque screen b is made,preferably, of thin sheet metal secured to a light frame b,

which is rigidly secured in a vertical position l vat the left-hand front of the base a, as shown in Figs. l and 4.

The slides c c are each constructed to loosely fit a longitudinal slot a2 in the base and has the beveled tooth c on its under edge and the ianges c2 c2 on its upper edge for holding the slides in the slots, as shown in Fig. 4. These slides are approximately one-half the length of the slots, as shown in Fig. 2.

The coiled springs d d are each secured at one end to the left-hand end of the base a and at the other end to a slide c, as shown in Fig. 2.

The spring-clips e e are each constructed of two pieces of spring-wire bent substantially U shape inverted and the ends secured to the top of a slide c, as shown in Figs. l and 4.

The actuating shafts f f each extend through the holes a4 a4 in the base under the slides c c and out through the front of the base.

The locking-pawls g g are each constructed to have the upwardly-turned hook-shaped end g and are secured to or form a part of a sleeve g2, by a set-screw g3 in a position for the hookshaped end of the pawl to engage with a corL responding tooth c on a slide c, as shown in Fig. 3.

which in turn is securcd to a shaft f IOO The actuating-levers h h are each con-` structed to have an L-shaped end h and are secured to the outer ends of the shafts f f in a position to bring the L-shaped ends of the levers into a convenient position for the player.

In the operation of my improved sheetmusic holder and automatic shifter the holder is placed on the music-rack of a piano or similar musical instrument, thus bringing the actuating-levers 7i h into a convenient position over the keyboard for the player. The slides c c are each pulled in succession toward the right of the holder to its limit against the tension of a coiled spring d and the actuating-levers lifted to bring a hook-shaped end g of a locking-pawl g into engagement with a tooth c on a corresponding slide c. Sheets of music i i are placed in position by forcing a sheet between the wires of each of the spring-clips 'e e, which secures the same to a slide in the position as shown in Fig. l. When the player has finished with the first sheet of music, a slight downward movement of a finger on the first actuating-lever h releases the slide, which through the tension of the coiled spring d instantly shifts the first sheet of music back of the screen l), thus concealing the same and exosing the second sheet of music, which is shifted back of the screen when required to expose the third sheet by depressing the second actuating-lever, and these operations are repeated as many times as there are slides in the holder, all without lifting the hands from the position they would assume in playing.

It is evident that the holder may be constructed to have any number of slides required and that the actuating-levers 7b h may be shaped to bring the same into any convenient position for the pl ayer without materially affecting the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A music holder comprising a base, an opaque screen secured to the base, a series of spring-actuated slides in the base, means for securing a sheet of music to each of the slides, means for holding the slides under spring tension to expose the face of a' sheet of music, and means for releasing the slides to automatically shift the sheets of music in succession back of the opaque screen.

2. A music holder comprising a narrow elongated base having a series of longitudinal slots, a series of spring-actuated slides in the slots, means for operatively securing the slides in the slots, means for securing a sheet of music to each of the slides, a vertical opaque screen secured to the left-hand front of the base, means for holding the slides in their outward position under spring tension to expose the face of a sheet of music, and means for releasing the slides to automatically shift the sheets of music in succession back of the opaque screen.

3. A music-holder comprising a narrow elongated base in which is a series of longitudinal slots, a series of slides in the slots, a series of coiled springs Lconnected to the base and to the slides, means for operatively securing the slides in the slots, means for securing a sheet of music to each of the slides, a vertical opaque screen secured to the lefthand front of the base, a series of actuatinglevers, and means intermediate the actuating-levers and the slides for holding the slides to the right beyond the opaque screen against the tension of the coiled springs to expose the face of a sheet of music, whereby on depressing the actuating-levers in succession the slides are released and automatically shift the sheets of music in succession back of the opaque screen, as described.

4. A music holder comprising a base in which is a plurality of longitudinal slots, a plurality of spring-actuated slides in the slots each slide having a tooth on its under side, means for operativelyT securing the slides in the slots, means for securing a sheet of music to each of the slides, a vertical opaque screen secured to the left-hand front of the base, a plurality of actuating levers secured to transverse shafts, and a plurality of arms having hook shaped ends secured to the transverse shafts in a position for a hookshaped end of an arm to engage with a tooth on a slide, whereby the slides are held to the right beyond the opaque screen against the tension of the coiled springs to expose the face of a sheet of music and may be released by depressing the actuating-levers in succession to automatically shift the sheets of music in succession back of the opaque screen, as described.

5. In a music-holder, the combination of an elongated base a having the longitudinal bars a. 0/ forming the longitudinal slots a2 a2, the longitudinal opening a3 in the bottom and the oppositely-disposed holes a4 a4 in the front and back, an opaque screen b constructed preferably of sheet metal secured to a light frame b which is rigidly secured to the lefthand front of the base, a plurality of slides c c each constructed to loosely fit the slots a2 a2 in the base and having a beveled tooth c on its under side and the flanges c2 c2 on its upper edge for holding the slides in the slots, a plurality of coiled springs cl d each secured at one end to the base and at the other end to a Vslide c, a plurality of spring-clips e e each constructed of two pieces of spring-wire bent substantially U shape inverted and the ends secured to the top of a slide c, a plurality of actuating-shafts ff each extending through holes 0,4 d4 in the base under the slides c c, a plurality of locking-pawls g g each constructed to have the upwardly-turned hook-shaped IOO IIO

end g and secured to an actuating-Shetty" in name to this specification in the presence of a position to engage with a corresponding two subscribing Witnesses. tooth c on a slide c, and a plurality of astuatng-levers h h each secured to an actuatng- JASPER L' DODGE' shaftf and shaped to bring the levers into a l Witnesses: convenient position for a player, as described. ADA E. HAGERTY,

In testimony whereof I have signed my J A. MILLER. 

